Out The Spout
Water Quality
Water quality is a major factor in the cycle of life. We get our water from rivers, streams, groundwater, and lakes. From plant to human life we all depend on these water sources to survive. If this water is contaminated, its is not usable and our supply of fresh water becomes even more limited. Without a good source of clean drinking water, life on Earth will not survive.
How can it be affected?
Water quality can be affected by a multitude of different things, ranging from weather changes to pollution.
- Air temperature rises, the dissolved oxygen lessen in the water
- Early snow melts can lead to higher average temperatures throughout the year
- Droughts.
- Sudden occurrences of floods can wash out the salinity in the waters.
- Eutrophication
- Oil spills
- Trash
- Chemical spills
What comes out of our spouts?
Even though much of the water we drink goes through filtration and cleansing, it still has leftover chemicals, such as chlorine, from the filtration processes. When this water is sent back down the drain carries many of these chemicals back to the ponds and streams. If these chemicals become to numerous can be very harmful to the aquatic lifeforms.
On average the US wastes about 1 trillion gallons of water a year. 70% of this wastewater is treated, yet only 4% of the treated water is reused. 66% of the wastewater goes unused and is sent back into the water cycle. There is only 3% of fresh usable water on Earth, and only 1% is reachable
What can we do to save our water?
There are many ways we can keep the water safe for all life forms and save what little water we have left. A family of four can save up to 25,000 gallons of water a year by switching from conventional toilets to ones that are low flow and more efficient. The filtration plants could use less chemicals, such as chlorine and fluoride, to clean our water supply, yet still use enough to make the water safe. We must take the proper actions to preserve our limited supply of water.
Citations
McCarthy, Gina. "Water Quality." EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency. 24 June 2015. Web. 1 Jan. <http://water.epa.gov/scitech/climatechange/Water-Quality.cfm>.
Fischetti, Mark. "How Much Water Do Nations Consume?." Scientific American. 21 May 2012. Web. 1 Jan. 2015. <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/graphic-science-how-much-water-nations-consume/>.
Admin, . "50 Amazing Water Conservation Facts You Should Know." Seametrics: Technology with a Mission. 28 July 2014. Web. 1 Jan. 2015. <http://www.seametrics.com/blog/water-conservation-facts/>.
Admin,. "WATER QUALITY: WHY DOES IT MATTER?." EcoSpark. 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 1 Jan. <http://www.ecospark.ca/changingcurrents/waterquality>